Favorite Darling Small-Mid Bore Double?

[Tanks]

Heym 88B in 9.3x74R worked great for bait and leopard. Even shot two impala with one bullet.

 

[VertigoBE]

Gorgeous setup. What’s the barrel on the rifle chambered in?

You have a fine eye. This Heym came with two barrel sets. The 7x65r set which is in the case and an almost identical barrel set in .375H&H which the rifle is wearing in this picture. Both could have a claim to an ultimate mid-bore caliber.

 

[Ross Reamy]

I'm always (unsuccessfully so far) on the hunt for a set of .308 or .30-06 barrels for my S2.. One of these days a set will pop up, surely..

 

[Flbt]

I don’t have one but I all ways though a 303 b would be wonderful for deer and hog

 

[Wildwillalaska]

It’s chambered in 7x65r which is the rimmed version of the 7x64 Brenneke rimless cartridge.

The 7x65R barrel isn’t on the rifle, you can see it in the case with the chambering visible in gold inlay. I was asking what the rifle mounted on the gun was…the other half of the 2-barrel set.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

You have a fine eye. This Heym came with two barrel sets. The 7x65r set which is in the case and an almost identical barrel set in .375H&H which the rifle is wearing in this picture. Both could have a claim to an ultimate mid-bore caliber.

That’s a fine pair. Gorgeous.

 

[steve white]

Great thread! Keep them coming.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

No 400/360’s? Seems the 9.3x74R largely made the 400/360 redundant at best?

 

[Bonk]

I have a 9.3x74r O/U double. It’s a Zoli. 25”, single trigger.

 

[degoins]

Very nice and most useful rifles here Gents.

Mine is a little RB Rodda top lever hammer rifle with rebounding locks and 26.5" fluid steel barrels chambered in 303 British, 215gr Woodleigh Weldcores at 2168 fps have shot through every deer or pig I've pointed it at, extremely accurate, point and shoot to a dead 100 yards.

IMHO every double rifle needs a solid load, with none available for my rifle I did a little experimenting, FL size your 303 British brass with expander ball/button removed from the die, seat 210gr CEB flat nosed #13 copper solid to just below front driving band on preferred powder charge, crimp case mouth over front drive band.

I have fired five 215gr Woodleighs from the right barrel front trigger and have yet to have the solid slip forward any at all under recoil, that bullet runs 2220 fps with the same charge of powder for the 215 Woodleigh and also regulates beautifully.

The CEB flat nosed copper solid will shatter any bones it hits at the hip/pelvic region of any large African Antelope/Zebra/Wildebeest etc, the bullet will then punch the liver, range on up and through the lungs, on through the heart and most likely exiting the chest/neck of the animal, and all that's after the animal turns to run from taking a slug hole punch from the little 215gr Woodleigh first shot.

I shot that 210gr CEB solid dead straight through a standing and live 18 inch red oak tree here at the farm at 20 yards, in and out, unreal penetration, animal tissue, bone, hide, fat, etc can't catch that one.

Not to sidetrack the thread, just wanted to put this out there in case any other 303 British fans are reading.

You do realize, old friend, that pictures are required.

 

[rookhawk]

What is your favorite small to mid-bore double chambered in. Not really thinking 450/400 or 375 H&H or Flanged, smaller still.

I’ll admit I don’t have a solid handle on where big bores transition to medium or small, so feel free to share your favorites wherever they’d fall in the mix…and maybe what it is that makes you love it so much. Is it the rifle itself, or the cartridge…combination thereof?

Some of the smaller delicate British doubles have caught my eye lately, but just so many different cartridges out there, many obscure to obsolete…or maybe I’m simply ignorant to them, possibly shying away from something worth considering. There is just so many from 275 magnum to 280 flanges to 400/360 and various versions of it, to 8x57 variants, it can make your head spin. Got me thinking there are likely a gent or three here with not only experience with some of these, but possibly a true fondness for one or more.

Anyway, for those that choose to share, cheers and I appreciate the participation.

Will

Some of the best when it comes to getting ammo and easily using the rifle would be 7x57R, 8x57JRS, 7x65R, and 303 Brit.

Harder to source components, but still excellent calibers would be 280 Flanged, 318WR Flanged, 333 Jeffery Flanged, 350 Rigby #2.

The stinkers if you will, that are often loaded in not-so-great double rifles would be 30-40 Krag and 45-70. The latter can be especially annoying because they are usually loaded at slow velocities and low pressures making the rifle rather lethargic.

 

[odonata]

The 7x65R barrel isn’t on the rifle, you can see it in the case with the chambering visible in gold inlay. I was asking what the rifle mounted on the gun was…the other half of the 2-barrel set.

When I saw @VertigoBE's reply I realized I was stuck on stupid & not being observant enough...

 

[50Gunner]

Uh-Oh degoins old buddy, that's where the wheels fall off with me, pretty much a .com dummy here, have never figured out how to post pics, if you'll PM me a cell I'll be glad to fire you off some pics for posting, I lost your old number when my poor flipper phone died.

Got a new I-phone something or another, was a half a tic off a loaded 45, a gallon of bourbon and playing on the train tracks when I first got that thing!

 

[Wildwillalaska]

When I wanted a big bore DR I sold my Fanzoj in 9.3x 74 to a friend. It’s still in my safe. He says he will pick it up and shoot it eventually. Its a nice small frame and is very well regulated with Swift A frames federal ammo. And Hornady. View attachment 730143View attachment 730142View attachment 730144

Dammit….thats sexy too. So many cool doubles in fun everyday calibers.

Leave it to my wife to make me really pause and think about this. I went from dipping a toe into the Double Pool to diving headfirst with reckless abandon. Well, desire to anyway. But with as much as I enjoy shooting, you can only wisely shoot a 470, 500, let alone 577 or 600, so much in a given time without possible complications, even if more tolerant/immune, it’s just not likely a good thing on an aging body. But these gorgeous little rifles, that’s a totally different story altogether.

So my misses who is not even remotely a firearm enthusiast but is super bright, related it back to clothes…of course. She thought about it like a nice suit you might enjoy and wear to the office or date night a couple times a month vs a tuxedo that I’d wear once or twice every year or two. If having that one super cool tuxedo, it makes sense but do I need two or three, likely not. But a good suit, that’s something I could use often an should have a solid selection.

While not exactly in line with my thinking, I simply loved the end point being what sounded like her saying I need a good selection of small and mid-bore doubles. Lol

 

[degoins]

Uh-Oh degoins old buddy, that's where the wheels fall off with me, pretty much a .com dummy here, have never figured out how to post pics, if you'll PM me a cell I'll be glad to fire you off some pics for posting, I lost your old number when my poor flipper phone died.

Got a new I-phone something or another, was a half a tic off a loaded 45, a gallon of bourbon and playing on the train tracks when I first got that thing!

brother I hear ya about being a .com dummy. this about the only site I can post pictures on. I'm about to have to get a new phone myself and I'm dreading it. PM on the way.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Dammit….thats sexy too. So many cool doubles in fun everyday calibers.

Leave it to my wife to make me really pause and think about this. I went from dipping a toe into the Double Pool to diving headfirst with reckless abandon. Well, desire to anyway. But with as much as I enjoy shooting, you can only wisely shoot a 470, 500, let alone 577 or 600, so much in a given time without possible complications, even if more tolerant/immune, it’s just not likely a good thing on an aging body. But these gorgeous little rifles, that’s a totally different story altogether.

So my misses who is not even remotely a firearm enthusiast but is super bright, related it back to clothes…of course. She thought about it like a nice suit you might enjoy and wear to the office or date night a couple times a month vs a tuxedo that I’d wear once or twice every year or two. If having that one super cool tuxedo, it makes sense but do I need two or three, likely not. But a good suit, that’s something I could use often an should have a solid selection.

While not exactly in line with my thinking, I simply loved the end point being what sounded like her saying I need a good selection of small and mid-bore doubles. Lol

Your wife’s logic and analogy is why I am now enjoying vintage SxS shotguns instead of rifles.
I get the same feeling looking at, holding and shooting them. And I can use them much more frequently on a variety of fur and fowl. At a fraction of the cost.

 

[112Savage]

So, hear me out….
I would love a double rifle but for my hunting currently considering price they’re out of the question. However I have thought that the 360 Buckhammer from Remington would be a great extra small framed double rifle cartridge. You can use 0.355” bullets for practice it’s a legitimate 200yd cartridge with factory rounds loaded to their potential. There has been no downloading due to old rifles manufactured etc. My second and third choices would be 30-30 and 303 in that order. Alas, the market for such a thing would be as the guys at rigby told me when I asked for a LH highland stalker “we would sell like 10 of those”.

 

[rookhawk]

So, hear me out….
I would love a double rifle but for my hunting currently considering price they’re out of the question. However I have thought that the 360 Buckhammer from Remington would be a great extra small framed double rifle cartridge. You can use 0.355” bullets for practice it’s a legitimate 200yd cartridge with factory rounds loaded to their potential. There has been no downloading due to old rifles manufactured etc. My second and third choices would be 30-30 and 303 in that order. Alas, the market for such a thing would be as the guys at rigby told me when I asked for a LH highland stalker “we would sell like 10 of those”.

The buckhammer, the legend, and all the other latest darlings (fads) are because of the requirement to use straight wall cartridges in certain States.

None of those cartridges is a rimmed cartridge, so you're forced to create a custom double rifle WITH ejectors...it'd cost you 5-figures and of course these calibers will be extinct in 10 years when the laws change, allowing normal rifle cartridges which has been the trend.

In these odd-ball States the only exception to the rule is the 300 Blackout which again requires an ejector in a DR.

I'd point out that many of the largebore double rifles are indeed, straight wall cartridges. So sure, you can hunt deer in Illinois with a 500NE, but not a 470NE.

 

[degoins]

brother I hear ya about being a .com dummy. this about the only site I can post pictures on. I'm about to have to get a new phone myself and I'm dreading it. PM on the way.

 

[degoins]

50gunners 303